The present invention comprises a plurality of fuel cells connected to each other in series, and a reformer configured to reform raw fuel, wherein reformed fuel by the reformer is supplied to a first stage of the plurality of fuel cells, and the fuel cell on the first stage is provided with a methane reaction suppressing function which suppresses reaction of methane included in the reformed fuel to a larger extent than at least one fuel cell on a second and later stages. Suppressing temperature drop due to endothermic reaction in the fuel cell on the first stage can improve the efficiency of electric power generation of the fuel cell system having the plurality of fuel cells arranged in series.

The invention relates to a cathode for a metal/air battery comprising at least one active layer produced in an active material and having an air side and a metal side, a current collector and a hydrophobic membrane produced in a hydrophobic material and deposited on the air side of the active layer. Said hydrophobic material has a porous structure and has penetrated into the air side of the active layer so as to form, between the hydrophobic membrane and the active layer, an interpenetration zone of hydrophobic material in the active material, in which there is a concentration gradient of hydrophobic material which decreases in the ingoing direction of air into the cathode.

The present specification relates to a method for manufacturing a solid oxide fuel cell, a solid oxide fuel cell and a cell module including the same.

A fuel cell comprises an anode, a cathode, and a solid electrolyte layer. The cathode contains a perovskite composite oxide as a main component and contains a compound that includes at least one of S and Cr as a secondary component. The cathode has a surface on the opposite side to the solid electrolyte layer. The surface of the cathode includes a first region and a second region that is positioned downstream of the first region in relation to the direction of oxidant gas flow in which the oxidant gas flows over the surface. The first region and the second region respectively contain a main phase configured by a perovskite composite oxide and a secondary phase that is configured by the compound. The occupied surface area ratio of the secondary phase in the first region is greater than the occupied surface area ratio of the secondary phase in the second region.

Electrochemical cells, such as those present within flow batteries, can include at least one electrode with one face being more hydrophilic than is the other. Such electrodes can lessen the incidence of parasitic reactions by directing convective electrolyte circulation toward a separator in the electrochemical cell. Flow batteries containing the electrochemical cells can include: a first half-cell containing a first electrode with a first face and a second face that are directionally opposite one another, a second half-cell containing a second electrode with a first face and a second face that are directionally opposite one another, and a separator disposed between the first half-cell and the second half-cell. The first face of both the first and second electrodes is disposed adjacent to the separator. The first face of at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is more hydrophilic than is the second face.

A positive electrode for a metal-air battery, the positive electrode including: a first layer disposed on a surface of an electrolyte membrane or a separator and including a first carbon material, a first electrolyte, and a first binder having an affinity with the first electrolyte; and a second layer disposed on the first layer and including a second carbon material, a second electrolyte, and a second binder having an affinity with the second electrolyte, wherein the first carbon material is different from the second carbon material, the first carbon material has a Brunauer Emmett Teller specific surface area which is greater than a Brunauer Emmett Teller specific surface area of the second carbon material, and wherein an amount of the first binder may be about 1.5 times to about 3 times greater than an amount of the second binder.

In a membrane electrode assembly, electrode catalyst layers are provided respectively on both surfaces of an electrolyte membrane. Each of the electrode catalyst layers includes polymer electrolyte and catalyst. In each of the electrode catalyst layers, the weight of a component of the polymer electrolyte contained in one surface facing the electrolyte membrane is twice as large as, or more than twice as large as the weight of the component of the polymer electrolyte contained in another surface.

Methods for optimizing, designing, making, and assembling various component parts and layers to produce optimized MEAs. Optimization is generally achieved by producing multi-layered MEAs wherein characteristics such as catalyst composition and morphology, ionomer concentration, and hydrophobicity/hydophilicity are specifically tuned in each layer. The MEAs are optimized for use with a variety of catalysts including catalysts with specifically designed and controlled morphology, chemical speciation on the bulk, chemical speciation on the surface, and/or specific hydrophobic or hydrophilic or other characteristics. The catalyst can incorporate non-platinum group metal (non-PGM) and/or platinum group metal (PGM) materials.

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) includes a cathode electrode, a solid oxide electrolyte and an anode electrode containing a first portion having a cermet containing a nonzero volume percent of a nickel containing phase and a nonzero volume percent of a ceramic phase and a second portion having a cermet containing a nonzero volume percent of a nickel containing phase and a nonzero volume percent of a ceramic phase, such that the first portion is located between the electrolyte and the second portion. The SOFC is an electrolyte-supported SOFC and the first portion of the anode electrode contains a lower ratio of the nickel containing phase to the ceramic phase than the second portion of the anode electrode. The first portion of the anode electrode has a porosity of 5-30 volume percent and the second portion of the anode electrode has a porosity of 31-60 volume percent.

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) includes a cathode electrode, a solid oxide electrolyte, and an anode electrode having a first region located adjacent to a fuel inlet and a second region located adjacent to a fuel outlet. The anode electrode includes a cermet having a nickel containing phase and a ceramic phase. The first region of the anode electrode contains a lower ratio of the nickel containing phase to the ceramic phase than the second region of the anode electrode.